''The Way of a Maid'' is a surviving 1921 American silent

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

produced by Selznick Pictures and starring

Elaine Hammerstein Elaine Hammerstein (June 16, 1894 – August 13, 1948) was an American silent film and stage actress. Early life Elaine Hammerstein was born on June 16, 1894 in Manhattan, the daughter of Jean Allison Hammerstein and opera producer Arthur Ham ...

. It was released by Select Pictures and directed by

William P. S. Earle William Pitt Striker Earle (December 28, 1882 – November 30, 1972) was an American director of the silent film era. He attended Columbia University and worked for a time as a photographer before breaking into the movie business by sneaking o ...

from an original story for the screen. A print of the film is held by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

Plot

As described in a

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

, successful candy salesman Tom Lawlor (Welch) returns to his hotel room and finds it in disorder. Mistaking the young society woman Naida Castleton (Hammerstein), entering the room across the hall from his, for a maid, Tom orders her to make his bed. She keenly enjoys the joke and keeps up the deception as "Marie", and afterwards when Tom's mother Mrs. Lawlor (Lindroth) asks her to become her secretary, Naida accepts the position when her fortune has been swept away. Tom falls in love with her. Naida is sent to Newport to open up a summer home the Lawlor's have recently purchased, one which formerly belonged to Naida's family, her friends descend on her and she is forced to disclose her identity to Tom and his family. She accepts Tom, however, when she finds that he loves her just as much as Naida, society swell, as Marie the maid.

Cast

References

External links

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1921 films American silent feature films Films based on short fiction 1921 comedy-drama films 1920s English-language films American black-and-white films Films directed by William P. S. Earle Selznick Pictures films 1920s American films Silent American comedy-drama films {{silent-comedy-drama-film-stub